This last side-dish from our Thanksgiving in May roundup comes from Ellie Krieger, who often features lower-fat versions of classic recipes. Since we had about two gallons of butter in our stuffing, it was nice to pretend that we were having a light meal with the addition of this Sweet Potato and Pecan Casserole. The pecan topping was delicious and crunch-tastic.

Chris says:

Well, it’s over, this Thanksgiving of ours…

Lisa says:

Noooo, it can’t be!

Chris says:

Don’t worry, it’ll live on in leftovers and blog posts.

Lisa says:

Blog posts? Yeah, right… with the kid coming, we won’t have time for that.

Chris says:

Don’t you see? It’s perfect! We probably won’t get to posting it until late spring, or even summer! Then we’ll be able to look back upon these dishes and salivate all over again!

Lisa says:

Oh, so like instead of “Christmas in July”, we’ll have “Thanksgiving in May”?

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot with a large steamer basket in place. Put the sweet potatoes in the basket, cover and steam until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and let cool slightly. Add the honey, egg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the nutmeg, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt; whip with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared baking dish.

Mix the brown sugar, pecans and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl; sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake until hot and beginning to brown around the edges, 40 to 45 minutes.

This was another of those “let’s look for a recipe that uses the veggies in the CSA box” nights that turned out really well. The original, in Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook called for red or yukon gold potatoes, but we had sweet potatoes on hand and I thought they made a nice contrast to the spicy homemade enchilada sauce.

Chris says:

We’re becoming kale fiends!

Lisa says:

I know it… we never cooked with it at all until this year…

Chris says:

Well they certainly love giving it to us in the CSA box… not that I’m complaining. Anyway, what do you think?

Lisa says:

I like it — I didn’t think I’d like the sweet potatoes, and I still want to try this again with regular spuds, but the taste is really good. What do YOU think?

Chris says:

I think it’s hard to take a good picture of enchiladas.

Lisa says:

Hmmm…. don’t worry about it. I think people know enchiladas aren’t that photogenic.

Chris says:

Maybe. Anyway, I love these things. I’d probably puree the enchilada sauce a little more next time, but I like the combination of flavors.

Lisa says:

The guacamole you made goes really well with it too. I heart guac.

Chris says:

I’m really liking the recipes from this book. They certainly don’t scream “vegan”.

Peel and diced the potatoes, then boil them until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F and have ready a shallow casserole dish, at least 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches. Prepare the enchilada sauce : In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions is oil for 4 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, and remove from the heat. When the mixture has cooled enough, taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Puree with an immersion blender until the mixture is smooth and even. Prepare the filling: Cook the olive oil and minced garlic in a saucepot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is sizzling and slightly browned. Add the kale, sprinkle with a little salt, and raise the heat to medium, stirring constantly to cover the kale with the oil and garlic. Partially cover the pot to steam the kale until it has wilted, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid and mix in the potatoes, vegetable stock, lime juice, and salt. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the potatoes. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the stock is absorbed. Add more salt or lime juice to taste. Ready a plate filled with about 3⁄4 cup of enchilada sauce, a casserole dish, a stack of corn tortillas, a heated cast-iron pan, and the potato and kale filling. Ladle a little bit of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it around. Take a corn tortilla, place it on the heated pan for 30 seconds, then flip it over and heat until the tortilla has become soft and pliable. Drop the softened tortilla into the pie plate filled with sauce; allow it to get completely covered in sauce, flip it over, and coat the other side. Now, place the tortilla in the casserole dish, place some of the potato filling down the middle and roll it up. Continue with rest of tortillas, tightly packing enchiladas next to each other. Pour about a cup of sauce over the top (reserving some for later), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until edges of the tortillas poking out of sauce look just a little browned. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Top individual servings with any remaining enchilada sauce, warmed slightly.

Another great way to use our CSA veggies tonight: a very colorful, unusual stew with strong flavors of lime and cilantro along side sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and okra. This recipe comes from the vegetarian recipe book The Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.

Lisa says:

Wow, that’s really limey…

Chris says:

See? And we get criticism that we like everything we make. (That’s for you, CB).

Lisa says:

No, I meant that I really liked the lime.

Chris says:

Oh! Well, there goes the I-don’t-love-it example… I like the slight heat from the jalapeno.

Lisa says:

I don’t really taste it.

Chris says:

Really? Hmm, well, next time I won’t remove the seeds. I was worried that it would be too spicy for you.

Lisa says:

Well, you could have left them in this time. I really, really like this soup.

Chris says:

I do too, but I’m going to say it’s not the best in history, just to even things out a bit.

In a large pot, saute the onions in the oil on medium heat for 4 or 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and the jalapeno and continue to saute, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the grated ginger and the water, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Stir in the sweet potatoes, sprinkle with salt, and simmer for 5 or 6 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender. Add the tomatoes, okra, and lime juice. Simmer until all of the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and add more salt to taste. Sprinkle the stew with chopped peanuts. Top with a few sprigs of cilantro.

Drain and skin the salt cod, then rinse under cold water. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan. Add the garlic, onion, and jalapeño and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat until softened. Add the salt cod and cook for another 4 minutes until it begins to color. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add the water, return to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the okra the soup and cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook for 5 minutes until the okra is tender. While the soup is cooking, prepare the yams. Peel the yams and cut into large dice, then place in a pan with the lemon juice and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Drain well, then return to the pan to dry over the heat for a few minutes. Add the butter and cream, and mash the potatoes. Season as desired. Add the chives.Season the soup with salt and pepper. Spoon portions of the yams into the center of six bowls and ladle the soup around it. Serve and enjoy!

Preheat an oven to 400F. Cut the potatoes in wedges; I like leaving the skin on. In a bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes, then flip the fries and cook until nice and crispy. Remove from oven and add a bit more salt and drizzle with a touch of truffle oil for “fanciness”.